Traditions, Lifestyle & Habits in Athens

The local residents are distinguished by such character traits as sentiment and nervousness at the same time. In critical or responsive situations they can show tolerance and resolve any conflict with ease. There are different culture and communication in Athens. You will not find a word "ne" in any dictionary of the Greek language. Here it often means "yes", and instead of the word "no" the locals often say "oohs". The indigenous people have never been very punctual, so they can be late even for an important business meeting. Continuing the theme of the local dialect it is worth noting another word that sounds like "avrio". Literally, it is translated as "tomorrow", but in fact the word means a failure or reject.

Athenians never take their shoes off even when entering a home. They are very hospitable, but invite guests for a dinner or lunch quite rarely. The period starting from 2 to 6 p.m. is considered the time of day rest, so it would be better to refrain from phone calls on this time. You should also not call and after 10 p.m. as it will also be the sign of bad manners.

Every year on October 28 an unusual holiday is celebrated in Athens. The holiday’s name is Day of Ohi (the meaning of this word has been already mentioned). On this day Greece said "no" to occupation of Italy. So this holiday has been celebrated since the Second World War. Local residents are very funny people who like entertainments. There is simply no weekend in this city that has no folk festivals and celebrations. On Sundays main squares of Athens become the location of interesting musical and theatrical performances; during the days of national celebrations the local people carefully decorate the streets of the city with flower garlands and beautiful placards.

While exploring the city, guests will see many teenager boys who sell newspapers and offer passers-by to clean their shoes or wash the car. The reason for this is in one of main problems of modern society – low level of income. Many families simply do not have enough money to send their children to school, so they start helping their parents from early age. If boys offer tourists to wash their cars, girls earn for living by selling pretty small bouquets of flowers and crafts. If you meet a smiling child on the street of the city, who will offer to buy a nice postcard or a bouquet of flowers, be sure to take this opportunity and reward the child.

More about Athens:
Local cuisine and restaurants
Entertainment in Athens
What to visit in Athens
Athens tips
Cityguide to Athens
Athens photogallery